


Promise?

by gravityplant



Series: PFF bingo 2019 [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Barista Dan Howell, Celebrity Phil, Fluff, Hospitalization, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 19:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20784140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gravityplant/pseuds/gravityplant
Summary: A young man ends up in the hospital and the celebrity Phil is to blame... right?-PFF bingo 2019 prompt: celebrity





	Promise?

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: phuzzyphan, thank you so much for helping me with this <3

Phil had snuck into the small coffee shop early in the morning with his hood up. It was covering the majority of his face, hiding him away from curious gazes and intrusive paparazzi.

Normally he'd just make coffee at home, but sometimes he just wants to have a seasonal drink, is that too much to ask for? Apparently so when you're Phil Lester, a famous actor and eminent author. Well, the last part no one but him and Laura knows.

But he knows it's going to be great. He's always wanted to write a book and when he'd mentioned it to Laura, his manager, she'd immediately brightened up, telling him it was a splendid idea. 

Phil was going to start writing today. He was a man of schedules and had, with Laura's help, planned out a timetable for himself to follow. But before he could so much as touch his beloved keyboard at home, he has to have coffee. 

Thus, he'd thrown on a hoodie, letting his black pyjamas pants remain on as part of the outfit. Partly he hoped it'd make him fit in more with the scarce crowd out so early in the morning.

So, there he stood now in the queue up to the cash register clad in all black with a pair of sunglasses pushed up on the bridge of his nose. Despite all that he looked sophisticated, he had a way of carrying himself that made him stand out in a throng despite his efforts to become one with it.

-

Dan was late to work again. He wiped his nose on his sleeve furrowing his brow to try and cease the growing headache. 

He knew from the moment he'd woken up that he was ill. Despite that, he'd stubbornly made his way out of bed. His movements had been slow. His brain sluggish and when he'd finally gotten through his breakfast he'd taken a look at the clock and almost had a heart attack. 

He had about fifteen minutes until his shift started. He must've been so tired that he'd lost all concept of time as he had ploddingly swallowed his breakfast bite after bite.

Now he was running over the square with his eyes on the small corner shop. Maybe Eddie and Jimmy wouldn't be disappointed in him. Heck, maybe they were late too? 

Probably not. Eddie is very punctual and Jimmy is a perfectionist. And most of all they enjoyed pointing out Dan's flaws when they as much as got the chance. Nothing Dan couldn't handle of course... Nought his crippling self-esteem wasn't familiar with.

Dan trots rapidly towards the door, his pulse is beating in his ears after the quick march and he's not feeling that useful if he's being honest.

Suddenly, just as Dan is about to grab the handle and rush in through the door, it's being pushed open. Dan doesn't have time to stop himself and the person wrapped up in all black loses the grip around their drink and it skims through the air spilling its vital, hot contents over Dan. The two of them collide in a heap of limbs crushing the spilt cup between their chests. 

Dan doesn't feel that excellent, he thinks he's banged his head but he doesn't remember all he apprehends is that suddenly the world is too vivid and the concerned, distant voices become indifferent. The urge to close his eyes is coming on strong and he gives in to it. Letting darkness consume him.

-

To Phil's dismay, this morning didn't at all go to plan. The person he crashed into is laying on the ground not moving and Phil is panicking. He stands there not knowing what to do and a few people rush out of the shop. A woman glares him right in the eye as he turns around. For a second a flash of recognition flashes over her face and for a moment she looks bewildered before she gives him a disagreeing look. 

"what are you doing just standing here, call an ambulance!" she sneers at him before quickly walking forth to kneel beside the young man lying unconscious on the ground. Phil winces at her words, feeling his mouth go dry. Just the thought of having to talk to ambulance personnel makes him anxious.

He swallows and dials the number with shaky fingers. People always expect him to be courageous and fond of crowds. An arrogant crowd-pleaser that cures people with a smile and never takes as much as one step wrong. But boy if they knew the real Phil Lester they'd scoff at him asking their neighbour at their conjoint BBQ evening how such a boring man could ever be famous. And sometimes Phil wonders that too.

When they answer his call, he tells them that they collided and that he doesn't know if the other man has any internal damages. All he tells them is that he thinks the man is unconscious. They answer that they'll be here soon. Phil lowers the phone, hunching up his shoulders and hiding in the hoodie. He crosses his arms defensively when the woman walks over to him. She still looks angry, her plucked eyebrows lowered and her mouth painted in a thin line. 

"I hope you'll take full responsibility for what you've done. Playing with a person's life like that, that poor young man hadn't done anything to you. But what can you expect from an arrogant film star who's first world problems are young men being in their way. You should be ashamed of yourself!" 

Phil doesn't know what to say. The astonished look on his face seems to please the woman as a Cheshire-cat smile speaking only of malevolence appears on her features. He stutters out a ‘what’ quietly but she's turned her back to him crouching down over the young man.

That wasn't Phil's intention, he hadn't seen the man. Would've never wished a fate like this to anyone. He deeply hopes that the young man is okay. The woman places her head on the man's chest listening intently,

Phil hopes that she looks over him to see if he's okay. That someone who doesn't get cold feet over having to talk to strangers deals with the situation. He could go right now and leave all of this behind. Wouldn't it be easy to just let this woman handle the situation? But the guilt gripping his stomach is mainly what keeps him remaining as the ambulance comes to a halt by the shop.

Quickly they manage to get the man upon a stretcher carrying him inside of the versicle. One of the ambulance workers a woman with a yellow ponytail asks who made the call. Phil tentatively walks forth. The woman asks if he wants to ride with them to the hospital to see if his buddy's gonna be alright. Phil's about to say that this man isn't his buddy at all when the unpleasant woman comes up to them.

"Excuse me but shouldn't I be the one who follows with him, I was the one who checked if this man was okay," She says looking over at Phil as she speaks with a glare.

Yellow-ponytail brusquely asks "well do you know this man?" The woman seems a bit surprised by the question, saying "no, but neither does he" and points at Phil.

Next, Yellow-ponytail turns to Phil with a kind but firm expression "do you know him?" Phil doesn't know what to answer he feels cornered and the anxiety is building in his chest. 

He throws out a ‘yes’ without thinking. Yellow ponytail nods but the woman persistently insists with "he's lying". Despite that Yellow-ponytail doesn't seem to care what the lady says and tells her to calm down. Phil takes a sigh of relief.

-

When Dan wakes up the world is calmer. He blinks his eyes open and a white room takes its form before his eyes. 

A person is sitting on a chair beside him, their head resting against the wall. They seem to have fallen asleep. And for a second he can't help but think the face of the person is familiar yet he can't quite place it. 

He shakes his head which he abruptly realises is a mistake as a headache blooms through this mind. A gasp of pain is wrung out of his mouth and the person sitting in the chair stirs at the sound. They must've been sleeping lightly Dan thinks, which isn't so weird because it can't be that pleasant sleeping in that compressed position.

The person flutters their eyes open looking blearily at Dan. After a few seconds of confused staring, he mutters gruffly "you're awake?" 

Dan is a bit puzzled by the question but tentatively says "yeah... do you have any idea why I'm here? I was late to work and I think I might be sick" Dan sniffles.

The other man scratched his neck looking a bit embarrassed as he says "about that, I'm really sorry for putting you here"

Dan furrows his brow peering at Phil, he looks a bit delirious as he asks "what're you, a robber or somethin'?"

"Why would I be here if I were a thief? Then I'd be really stupid." Phil snorts.

Dan grins "yeah, I reckon, cause if you were you'd be an awfully nice sort of robber who follows with their victims to the hospital after stealing from and beating them".

Phil can't help but laugh at that, he shakes his head "god you're a really nice guy aren't you, I'm really sorry for making you end up here" he looks genuinely sad as he says that and Dan stares at him trying to work out the situation.

"Was it on purpose?" Dan asks carefully, slowly unravelling the mystery at hand.

"No...?" the man says sounding almost unsure and Dan doesn't like it. He can't stand seeing people sad. Surely it wasn't his fault for making Dan end up in here.

"Then what are you apologising for? Dan says giving the man a half-smile. He looks surprised and uncertain. Hiding behind a black thick hoodie. 

Dan looks into the man's blue eyes as he stammers out an "I... you... I don't know. I just feel bad" he downcasts his eyes.

"Don't" Dan says with an encouraging smile. "Instead please tell me what happened."

-

"Well, I think it sounds like we're equally as much of a klutz," Dan says tilting his head to the side and shrugging his shoulders.

"Hah, maybe" Phil mumbles.

"Shit!" Dan suddenly exclaims slapping his hand against his forehead. 

"What?" Phil asks, frowning.

"I just remembered why I had to go to work," Dan sighs, it's like Dan's eyes suddenly loses that twinkle. He looks at Phil with a disheartened expression.

"Why?" 

Dan shakes his head "it's not important". Maybe just maybe Phil can detect a slight tinge of pink colouring his cheeks, as if roses have blossomed there. 

Phil doesn't say anything. He doesn't know what to say. His mind is spinning. One minute he was going about his day worrying about paparazzi and time schedules for books the next he's in a hospital. 

His head has been filled with all the things he wants and doesn't that he's forgotten how it is to be a student. Needing to work for whatever reason. Phil feels alleviation for not needing to have to go back to that, that he's left it behind. That part of his life is over. 

"Maybe I wouldn't have been able to work anyway. I think I'm kinda ailing actually, my nose feels stuffy and my head throbs." He points at his own head furrowing his brow. "Well at least now I have an excuse for it" he eventually sighs, looking down at the cover.

"But isn't being sick enough of an excuse?" Phil asks carefully. Surely Dan should be able to take sick days? Phil can't ever recall not being able to take a few days off if he was feeling poorly. 

But on the other hand, he's tried putting his past behind himself, so there's a slight chance that it might be his brain's reasoning for neglecting.

Dan shakes his head sadly. Phil stares at Dan, he doesn't know what to say. For the first time since he stepped into the stoplight, there's not a single thing on his tongue. This conversation he's having feels way too personal. Like Phil shouldn't even know these things. Dan is just a person in the crowd, until Phil by accident collided into his life, quite literally.

Phil should just move on, forget this ever happened. Isn't that what he usually does? Isn't that why he's accepting awards from right to left. Moving on has become Phil's success, his way of taking matters in his hand. Having control over it.

But with this stranger suddenly touching into him he's lost control of the steering wheel and he can feel himself panic.

"Fuck, I'm going to have to move into mum and dad’s again" Dan mutters shaking his head.

"Don't you have, like, a buddy you can sleep at?" Phil asks carefully. Do university students have apartments? He can't remember if his friends had. He had one at least. A small one. Ridiculously small compared to his big house now... Big and empty.

Dan shrugs indefinitely, looking down at his fingers braided together on his stomach. Phil can't help but feel awful for making Dan end up here. If Phil had just taken it slower. Not hurried with a brisk pace. He just didn't want anyone to recognise him. He just wanted to be alone. 

At least then he doesn't have to worry about people talking behind his back or snapping pictures of him without him knowing. And maybe sometimes Phil misses the people he's left behind. But only sometimes, of course, Phil has his manager and his family he doesn't need... friends.

"I, um, feel really bad for this... maybe I can make this up for you?" He asks sheepishly, feeling like Dan might either be cross with him still but concealing it really well or just think Phil is repetitive.

"Haven't we established that it's neither of our faults?" Dan says raising an eyebrow. So he's definitely mad... Or is he just annoyed with Phil? He can't tell. Maybe he's just bad at reading people?

Maybe if he insists, this stranger will just let Phil make it up to him? It's worth a shot, because Phil can't stand the anxiety in his stomach rising like skyscrapers with a foreboding darting finesse. 

"Yeah but I can... I have an extra room in my house- you could sleep there for now if you can't pay rent..." Phil says gesticulating helter-skelter.

"You're way too nice." Dan shakes his head unbelievably. Then he looks Phil in the eyes "I can't pay you that much money for lodging."

Money is the least part of Phil's problems. He feels a wave of heat flood his chest and grins "You won't have to pay, I'll manage anyway".

"Promise?" Dan says suspiciously, his eyebrow-raising. "You sure you're not like a robber or something?"

"I promise, I'm not that or a creep," he smiles honestly and Dan seems to relax a little.

He should give this stranger a way of contacting him. He shakes his head, this is the most insane thing he's ever done. His manger is going to flip her shit when she finds out. But it's kinda a bit too late for him pulling back the offer now. Plus he weirdly feels for this student, it must be because he caused them all of this distress.

"I'll give you my number so you can call me" Phil offers, holding out his empty hand. Dan opens his mouth as if to say something then closes it again, he stares at Phil "oh yeah of course, um my phone's..." he looks around the room.

Phil spots it before him, pointing and exclaiming "there, on the bedside table!" 

Dan stretches after the phone and Phil stares for a second, feeling confused as to why he does so. Dan holds up one finger, eyes glued to the screen "okay wait I'm just gonna unlock it" he says distantly.

Phil waits a couple of seconds before Dan looks up, smiling, and gives the phone to Phil. He enters his phone number and saves it, "So, done!"

As he hands it back to Dan he says "Okay I have to go now but... get well" clapping his hands together stiffly. Just as Phil has turned around and opens the door looking back one last time he hears the stranger's voice sounding.

"Hey, wait!" Phil looks at him, tilting his head to the side waiting for him to say something.

"Do I know you from in the past?" Dan asks, his eyes run over Phil and Phil feels uneasy. He shakes his head "No."

"Huh, weird. I thought I recognized you," Dan mumbles. When he looks up again Phil is gone.

-

Sent: 09:40  
From: PHIL ^-^  
I completely forgot to ask you what your name was, how impolite of me! I hope you call me, not only to tell me your name of course but about the housemate thing. I honestly still feel kind of guilty and I can't quite shake it off. Plus I think we could be great housemates, you seem like a funny dude.


End file.
